New Delhi: JNUSU president Aishe Gosh said they took out a peaceful march from JNU. "The police thought they would detain two office bearers and the movement would end, but every student is a leader," she said.
The Delhi Police urged the protesting JNU students not to take law in their hands and to maintain peace as thousands of agitators continued with their march to Parliament.
Meanwhile, the gates of the Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat have been opened, tweeted DMRC. The Lok Kalyan Marg station is not yet functional, it said.
JNUSU demanded the resignation of the vice chancellor of the university and said that fellow protesters detained by police must be released. They reiterated their demand for a complete rollback of hostel fee hike and asked the draft hostel manual be withdrawn.
Demanding a complete rollback of the hostel fee hike, hundreds of JNU students on Monday started their protest march from the university campus towards the Parliament amid heavy police deployment.
The varsity's students have been protesting for nearly three weeks against the draft hostel manual, which has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.
The police said ten companies have been deployed outside JNU. One company comprises 70 to 80 personnel.
Delhi: Police stops Jawaharlal Nehru University students at Ber Sarai road, not allowed to march ahead towards Parliament #JNU pic.twitter.com/Nf2VFnw2JH
— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2019
A senior official said police personnel are accompanying the agitating students during the march to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
Initially, the barricades outside JNU's gates were removed and the students were allowed to march. The police later stopped the march around 500 metres from the varsity's gates.
Click here to follow LIVE updates on Parliament
Former JNU Students' Union president N Sai Balaji said, "Delhi Police stops JNU students peaceful march to parliamentarians! The Mhrd is fooling students by forming committee. Why didn't the committee suspend fee hike till dialogue is happening? We are demanding a rollback of the fee hike."
The protest march comes on the first day of the Parliament's Winter Session, which will end on 13 December.
Earlier, the HRD Ministry appointed a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
Akshat, a JNU student said, "The students' union has not been informed by the ministry about the formation of a panel. The administration officials and the panel should speak to the elected union to solve the issue."
Priyanka, another student said, "We are being given a lollipop in terms of the partial rollback. I am the first from my family to reach university. There are many others like me. Education is not the birthright of a privileged few."
Students took out the march carrying banners which read "save public education", fees must fall" and "ensure affordable hostels for all".
Another student, who did not wish to be identified, said, "We haven't seen our VC in a long time. It's time that he comes out and talks to us. Instead of appealing to us through teachers and other methods, he should initiate a dialogue with us. "
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Updated Date: Nov 18, 2019 21:09:30 IST
Highlights
100 students detained for showing aggressive defiance, says Delhi Police
A Delhi Police statement, as reported by ANI, read, "The Delhi Police staff acted with restraint all along and despite continued defiance by some groups of students, methods of persuasion were resorted to, and there was no use of water cannons, tear gas shells or lathi-charge at any stage of the protest. After protracted persuasive tactics and the general approach of physical containment by the police, students mostly seemed convinced, but a group of them suddenly broke away and somehow managed to proceed towards New Delhi area through the Aurobindo Marg. They were effectively stopped and contained at Safdarjung Tomb. However, some agitated groups still attempted to forcibly break barricades again. Around 100 students were detained for showing aggressive defiance to the directions of the police."
Delhi Police evict JNU students from Safdarjung Tomb
'We are all fighting together': JNUSU president
Fee hike unaffordable for a large number of students, says student leader
CNN-News18 quoted Akshat Seth, Unit Secretary of the SFI in JNU as saying, "In recent years, there has been a trend of exclusion of students and teachers who have a different opinion from the administration...The fee hike is unaffordable for a large number of students."
NSUI expresses solidarity with JNU students
"Police brutality on activists and JNU students during a peaceful protest march against hostel fee hike today. Students were badly beaten up and arrested by Delhi Police. NSUI stands firmly with JNU students on their demand for complete rollback of fee hikes," Neeraj Kundan, national president of the NSUI (Student wing of the Congress) said on Twitter.
Protest will not be withdrawn till demands fulfilled, say students
JNU students protesting in the Jor Bagh area of Delhi have said that they will not stop protesting till their demands, including the roll back of hostel fee hike, are met. Protesters said that assurances are not enough, News18 reported.
Earlier, HRD ministry had appointed three-member committee
Delhi Police urges JNU students not to take law in their hands
JNUSU demands complete roll back of fee hike; say VC must resign
JNUSU demanded the resignation of the vice chancellor of the university and said that fellow protesters detained by police must be released. They reiterated their demand for a complete rollback of hostel fee hike and asked the draft hostel manual be withdrawn.
Earlier, Sitaram Yechury condemned attack on protesters
Delhi metro trains not halting at Lok Kalyan Marg: DMRC
JNU students march towards Parliament, stopped by police
Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru Univeristy, who were holding a protest on the university's premises for the past three weeks, hit the streets carrying placards and chanting slogans, seeking to get the attention of the Parliament about their demand. The protesters asserted that they would not relent until the government withdraws the hike.
Hundreds of police personnel stopped the students on the Baba Ganganath Marg, around 600 metres from the main gate of the university in south Delhi and some of them were forcefully stopped from moving ahead. Several leaders of the agitation were detained by the police when they insisted on marching forward, reports PTI.
LIVE NEWS and UPDATES
20:23 (IST)
100 students detained for showing aggressive defiance, says Delhi Police
A Delhi Police statement, as reported by ANI, read, "The Delhi Police staff acted with restraint all along and despite continued defiance by some groups of students, methods of persuasion were resorted to, and there was no use of water cannons, tear gas shells or lathi-charge at any stage of the protest. After protracted persuasive tactics and the general approach of physical containment by the police, students mostly seemed convinced, but a group of them suddenly broke away and somehow managed to proceed towards New Delhi area through the Aurobindo Marg. They were effectively stopped and contained at Safdarjung Tomb. However, some agitated groups still attempted to forcibly break barricades again. Around 100 students were detained for showing aggressive defiance to the directions of the police."
19:48 (IST)
Delhi Police evict JNU students from Safdarjung Tomb
19:35 (IST)
'We are all fighting together': JNUSU president
19:28 (IST)
Fee hike unaffordable for a large number of students, says student leader
CNN-News18 quoted Akshat Seth, Unit Secretary of the SFI in JNU as saying, "In recent years, there has been a trend of exclusion of students and teachers who have a different opinion from the administration...The fee hike is unaffordable for a large number of students."
19:17 (IST)
No question of withdrawing protest unless fees rolled back, says JNUSU president
Times Now reported that Aishe Ghosh, the JNUSU president addressed the gathering a short while ago, and said that there was no question of withdrawing the protest until there is a complete rollback in fees.
19:09 (IST)
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav condemns police action against protesting students
Expressing solidarity with protesting JNU students, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that they were exercising their democratic right to protest against and the fee hike. He also condemned the action taken against the students by the Delhi Police.
18:57 (IST)
Metro services at Jor Bagh station halted
18:54 (IST)
NSUI expresses solidarity with JNU students
"Police brutality on activists and JNU students during a peaceful protest march against hostel fee hike today. Students were badly beaten up and arrested by Delhi Police. NSUI stands firmly with JNU students on their demand for complete rollback of fee hikes," Neeraj Kundan, national president of the NSUI (Student wing of the Congress) said on Twitter.
18:42 (IST)
Protest will not be withdrawn till demands fulfilled, say students
JNU students protesting in the Jor Bagh area of Delhi have said that they will not stop protesting till their demands, including the roll back of hostel fee hike, are met. Protesters said that assurances are not enough, News18 reported.
18:36 (IST)
Police crackdown shows govt afraid of youth, says Congress
Pawan Khera, spokesperson for the Congress, told News18 the crackdown by police shows that the government is afraid of the youth.
"It clearly shows that this government is afraid of the youth of India. It is afraid of any university which encourages free school of thought. The proposed fee hike would make JNU one of the most expensive universities, students are right in demanding a roll back," he said.
18:21 (IST)
Minister of state for HRD speaks about JNU protests
18:16 (IST)
Earlier, HRD ministry had appointed three-member committee
18:15 (IST)
Delhi Police urges JNU students not to take law in their hands
18:09 (IST)
Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat Metro stations functional
While the gates of the Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat have been opened, the Lok Kalyan Marg statin is not yet functional, tweeted DMRC.
18:02 (IST)
BSP MP speaks out against privatisation of education
17:45 (IST)
JNUSU demands complete roll back of fee hike; say VC must resign
JNUSU demanded the resignation of the vice chancellor of the university and said that fellow protesters detained by police must be released. They reiterated their demand for a complete rollback of hostel fee hike and asked the draft hostel manual be withdrawn.
17:39 (IST)
Delhi Police says will investigate into allegations of lathicharge on protesters
17:36 (IST)
Earlier, Sitaram Yechury condemned attack on protesters
17:28 (IST)
Watch: Protesters clash with police
17:28 (IST)
Earlier in the day, JNUSU vice-president Saket Moon tweeted:
17:26 (IST)
Three Delhi Metro stations shut, traffic affected
17:25 (IST)
Delhi metro trains not halting at Lok Kalyan Marg: DMRC
17:23 (IST)
Protesters lathi-charged by Delhi Police, say reports
A number of JNU students were detained and some injured when the police allegedly baton-charged and stopped them at many places, reports PTI. The students took to Twitter to share pictures from the march and the injuries they received, allegedly due to the baton charge by the police.
17:18 (IST)
JNU students march towards Parliament, stopped by police
Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru Univeristy, who were holding a protest on the university's premises for the past three weeks, hit the streets carrying placards and chanting slogans, seeking to get the attention of the Parliament about their demand. The protesters asserted that they would not relent until the government withdraws the hike.
Hundreds of police personnel stopped the students on the Baba Ganganath Marg, around 600 metres from the main gate of the university in south Delhi and some of them were forcefully stopped from moving ahead. Several leaders of the agitation were detained by the police when they insisted on marching forward, reports PTI.